Friday, 19 April 2013

Spring in Japan is famous for its beautiful cherry blossom. I was so glad to be able to see it when I went to Nagoya (3rd most populated city in Japan) last week, even though it was a few days late for the full blooming.

I have always been fond of Japanese gardens and you can see the reason.

Spring is not only a tourist season but also the wedding season for Japanese people. On a visit to a Shrine (“Shinto Shrine” in Japanese), where people worship and pray for good fortune as well as hold wedding ceremonies, I witnessed several traditional Japanese weddings in progress.

A high percentage of Japanese still prefer a traditional, or “Shinto”, wedding over a Western wedding. Here, the bride in traditional white kimono and the groom in black formal kimono, and their family members were on their way to the ceremony.

The white hood-like headwear on the bride symbolizes the bride's beginning to become a gentle and obedient wife.

The Shinto wedding is usually a small-scale affair with only family members and close relatives attending.

During the actual ceremony, music and dance were performed before the bride and groom exchanged vows.